LL84: NYC Benchmarking Updates for Your Year-End Submission

Editor's Note: Please see our Local Law 84 compliance guide. It's kept up-to-date for deadlines, fines and requirements. And best of all, we show you how quick and painless it is to comply with LL84 using WegoWise!

Fines

Fines have gone out for 2010 non-compliance. This is a one-off $500 fine, as violations will be dismissed after it is paid. However, non-compliance for the 2011 year will lead to quarterly $500 fines to a maximum of $2000. Buildings in violation of the law will be posted on the Department of Buildings website and they will receive this letter.

New Link for Compliance

There is a new report page for Portfolio Manager that you must use to comply. To get there, log in to your Portfolio Manager account here.

New List of Covered Buildings

There is a new list of buildings that must comply with LL84. This list is different from last year’s. I recently spoke to a client who had to add two new properties to the buildings he reported last year after checking this document.

Outreach

The City is providing information sessions on this year’s benchmarking process, focusing on water benchmarking. One session has already occurred and the next is April 24th. Email sustainability@buildings.nyc.gov (with "RSVP for Benchmarking Session April 24th" in the subject line) to register, as space is limited. Also, the Mayor's office is putting together weekly digests concerning updates and advice about the Greener Greater Buildings Plan. Four digests have already been published, they can be found here: One, Two, Three, Four.

New Help Center Hours

The Benchmarking Technical Assistance Help Center has new hours this year: Mondays and Thursdays 10am to 5pm. If you call outside these hours and leave a message, they will call you back. Call them at 212-788-9704 or 212-442-7901.

Water Benchmarking

Benchmarking your water use is required for the 2011 benchmarking if your property has had an automatic water reader for the entirety of 2011. Check this list to see. Automated benchmarking will be available for these properties as of April 16th.

Whole Building Data

Aggregated data can still be requested from ConEd and National Grid (to do so, check out the guides for ConEd and National Grid). After April 11th, ConEd does not guarantee you will receive your data by May 1st. National Grid’s deadline to request data is April 20th. If you do not wish to buy aggregated data, you will still be allowed to estimate tenant energy usage using the City’s default values until 2013.

Non-Residential Tenant Data

The requirement to request data from your non-residential tenants has not changed. Here is the letter. Remember, they do not need to reply to the letter, but you need to send it.

BBL and BIN Numbers

This year, you must report your building’s Building Identification Number in the “Unique Building Indentifier” field in Portfolio Manager, right below the “Notes” field, where you put the Borough, Block and Lot number. If you are benchmarking multiple buildings on one tax lot as one, you must include each building’s BIN separated by a semi-colon (no spaces). You can find your building’s BIN at the top of you Property Profile on the Department of Building’s Building Information System.